Spiced Tea

Our lovely part of Texas is about to get really, really cold.  The coldest it has been here in over a decade.  So we’ll be spending lots of time indoors, hopefully reading books by the fire, and drinking warm drinks.  The Littlest Apple loves hot cocoa.  Or at least, he likes to pretend he does.  Really, he just likes to stir it.  As for the actual drinking of the hot cocoa, not so much.

Me?  I’ll be drinking lots of this Spiced Tea while I stay bundled up inside this week.  Let me state for the record that normally, I HATE tea.  Iced tea.  Hot tea.  Green tea.  Black tea.  Sweetened tea.  I HATE IT ALL.  I’ve tried to like it.  Believe me, I’ve tried.  But I just can’t bring myself to drink it.  I will not drink it in a box.  I will not drink it with a fox….you get the picture.

But THIS tea?  THIS tea, I LOVE.  Probably because it isn’t really tea at all, though it does have a teensy bit of instant tea as an ingredient.  But that teensy bit of tea is offset by wonderful citrus flavors, cloves, and cinnamon (not to mention a hefty dose of sugar).  This tea tastes delicious, smells divine, and reminds me of winter.

This recipe is courtesy of my mom, who keeps making me more of this tea whenever I run out, even though I’m fully capable of making it myself.  Thanks, Mom!  I’ve yet to actually make this tea for myself, but it’s easy y’all!   I’ve seen similar recipes in lots of magazines and cookbooks.  You can substitute Splenda and sugar free lemonade for a lower calorie version that still tastes wonderful!

Spiced Tea

recipe from my mom (who got it from one of my grandmothers, I think)

Ingredients:

• 1 1lb 2 oz container of Tang (21.1 oz)
• 3/4 cup instant tea
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 packages lemonade mix (or 2 tubs of Crystal Light)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar (or Splenda)
• 1 teaspoon cloves

Mix all ingredients.  To serve, heat up a mug of water, then add approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of Spiced Tea mix and stir.